You said: “I will go hence to another land,

You said: "I shall go to some other land, I shall go to some other sea.

I will betake me to another sea.

Another city there must be, better than this.

A better place than this may well be found.

My every effort here is a sentence of condemnation against me,

All my endeavours are foredoomed to fail,

and my heart—like a corpse—lies buried.

and as though dead my heart is sepulchred.

How long shall my mind remain smothered in this blight?

How long shall this corrosion sap my brain?

Wherever I turn my eye, wherever I look,

On every side — whichever way I look —

I see the black ruins of my life

dark ruins of my life confront me here

where I spent and spoiled and ruined so many years."

where I have spent and wrecked so many years.”

Fresh lands you shall not find, you shall not find other seas.

You shall not find new places; other seas

The city shall ever follow you.

you shall not find. The place shall follow you.

In streets you shall wander that are the same streets and

And you shall walk the same familiar streets,

grow old in quarters that are the same

and you shall age in the same neighbourhood,

and among these very same houses you shall turn grey.

and whiten in these same houses. Ever this place

You shall always be returning to the city. Hope not;

shall you arrive at. There is neither ship,

there is no ship to take you to other lands, there is no road.

nor road, for you, to bring you otherwhere.

You have so spoiled your life here in this tiny corner

As here, in this small nook, you wrecked your life,

that you have ruined it in all the world.

even so you spoilt it over all the earth.